Shelter
by Letreen
Summary: She didn't want to be there, but there she was. Soon, she would realize why nobody never, ever crosses the new Lord Marshal's path. Please R & R.
1. Chapter 1 : Visitors

**Disclaimer : I own nobody from TCOR or PB.**

**My first Riddick fiction. I have a tendency of trying to keep spelling mistakes out of the story so much that i might screw up my grammar or something. So if u spotted any mistakes, please point it out to me (in the form of a review:P). **

**I would appreciate reviews to keep me going on with this story. You know, inspiration. **

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**Shelter – Chapter 1 :Visitors :**

The deep rumble of a military ship sent Sandra straight out of bed. Well, not that exaggerating, but her all her senses were on and on the alert now. Seldom there were visits from other systems, but it was unmistakably a military ship. She leaped out of bed and rushed to the window just as her bedroom door was flung open, and her governess stood in the doorway.

'Quick, girl! We're running late!' Miss Gertrude stopped cold in mid sentence when she saw her student standing undressed, exposed, in the dry wind, by the window, for all the eyes to see. Of all horrors! 'Sandra!' she cried in disbelief. 'What are you doing?'

The girl that was just shy of 20 years of age in three days did not heed her, but leaned out eagerly from her window. There, at the port, a huge, dark, sleek ship was just landing, a ship with a design not known to her. She glanced back to her governess and began excitedly, 'Look, Miss Gertrude, we have a visitor—' but stopped in her sentence with one look at the black-faced governess.

'Get. Away. From. The. Window. And. Get. Dressed!'

Sandra was too terrified not to comply.

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The unannounced guest was solemn and silent, which goes the same for his escorts and companions, and strode towards the Audience Hall with a deadly air. Any who threw his gaze in his direction immediately cringed. That was the effect Riddick had on people, Lord Marshal or no. 

Lord Vaako, ever loyal to the Lord Marshal even if he was an ex-convict or that his wife had plotted to kill him before, kept a short distance clear of his ruler's giant strides and flowing cloak. He glanced up at Riddick, and grimaced for the hundredth time. Even after serving him for more than a year, like other people, Vaako, too, felt the eerie effect the ex-convict unconsciously had on others, and he didn't quite like it.

Riddick had kept his customary outfit of wife beater and pants, refusing (with a mere stare at the suggester) any form of apparel that would immediately identify him as a Necromonger. Perhaps that was what made him deadly and terrifying. Riddick had a world of his own, and he didn't like people barging into it.

His entourage reached the door to the Audience Hall. Riddick, not even stopping, extended his hand, and the doors arched open by some unseen force. He smirked inwardly, though his outer expression held...well, there was no expression, in fact. Oh, yeah, he might be a reluctant ruler, but being Lord Marshal had its perks.

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Sandra's wide curious eyes followed the man in black. An air of darkness seem to follow him around. She was in one of the audience box balcony, peering out from behind the curtains. Miss Gertrude, ever watchful of her prize but indisciplined student, stood behind her, and, like others, unnerved by this man that now faced her master. 

She was never allowed to join the formal congregation down there, but the view from above was good enough for her. She had watched gatherings and conventions from this audience box ever since she was tall enough to peep over the railings. She had seen her father converse with many rulers and representatives, most she was allowed to meet after the meetings.

And most she had never seen again.

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Lord Arthur Woolworth stood smiling widely as he welcomed his invited guests. He was the ruler of Kudakasut, a system that consisted of seven planets arranged in the shape of a horseshoe. Kudakasut was a strong universe, with 10 systems under its belt to date. How Lord Woolworth conquered them was still a mystery, though.

'It's an honour tofinally meet the famousLord Marshal,' Lord Woolworth smiled, and extended his hand. Riddick shook it cautiously, keeping his eyes on the tall thin man before him. _Likewise, _he thought sarcastically. _After this one, I've had had enough of peace conferences. _He merely nodded, and sat down. _Okay, so begins another long, boring day. _

Lord Woolworth began his normal speech, welcoming everyone and telling them about Kudakasut, its beauty and splendors. Vaako glanced sideways at his lord; the man wasn't listening at all, he knew from Riddick adjusting his goggles every few minutes restlessly, as if they had grown heavy and tight on his face. Riddick sensed his gaze, and slowly glanced at him. He lifted an eyebrow.

Vaako took the cue to take over and looked straight, pretending to be interested.

'...so you might have heard of the rumors of a war brewing,' Lord Woolworth remarked, smiling. _What is it, man? Facial cramp?_ Riddick thought. Butwhen he glanced at Vaako, his loyal lieautenant had a listen-to-this-one-it-might-interest-you look on his face. Riddick snapped to attention. He knew that look--a year with Vaako and he could recognize the messages he conveyed in every expression.

'War?' Vaako pretended to ask, but in fact reminding Riddick what was the current topic of the conversation. 'The Necromongers aren't involved in it.'

'Is that why you asked us here?' Riddick cut in, speaking for the first time. 'You want an alliance, don't you?'

_Smart ass_, Lord Woolworth thought. 'Not alliance,' he said, shaking his head and smiling cunningly. 'I have all the help I want. Hunter, Freeaun, Garunda--' he ticked them off his fingers.

'Get to the point,' Riddick interrupted with a growl, yet again.

'What I'm saying is that I am looking for no alliance,' Lord Woolworth said. He leaned in eagerly, 'but a partner.'

Riddick appeared unfazed, nor interested, nor puzzled. Nobody knew what flashed behind those goggles. 'Partner?' he asked, and his voice held a mild interest. Lord Woolworth grinned.

'Partner,' he nodded. 'You,' he pointed at Riddick. _Watch where your finger go, man. _'Me,' he pointed at himself. 'Us.' His grey eyes held a knowing gleam, as if he expected Riddick to understand the hidden meaning behind his words. Riddick remained passive for several seconds. Then his lipsspread into a smirk. Then it turned into a snicker. Lord Woolworth grinned, and nodded.

Riddick exploded into loud guffaws, joined by Lord Woolworth. Vaako felt a shiver crawl down his spine. _What the-? _

'I see,' Riddick nodded after he calmed some sort. 'Well, tell ya what.' He leaned forward, as if whispering. 'Let me stay here for starters,' he told him blatantly. 'Allow me to consider your system, then your offer. How's that sound?'

'Excellent! Brilliant!' Lord Woolworth's smile widened. 'Kudakasut welcomes you. My home,' he swept his arms out wide, 'is your home.' He laughed. Riddick laughed too, but silently scanned the area around him for any appointed assassins. There were many potential hiding places above his head, but one was occupied.

Sandra's breath caught in her throat when the man whom they called Lord Marshal--necromongers!--stared straight at her. Riddick cocked his head curiously, observing the innocent-looking woman in his colourless world. She didn't look like no assassin, but she did look like royalty. 'Family?' he asked aloud, still locking gaze with the woman.

Lord Woolworth glanced up. 'Daughter,' he replied. 'Only one.'

'Heavens girl!' Miss Bertrude scolded, grabbed Sandra harshly and pulled her away from view. Riddick saw the woman disappear, and frowned. Lord Woolworth gestured at the refreshments to get his attention, and smiled, 'something strong?'

Riddick didn't reply, but merely nodded. He glanced at Vaako. He was gonna need an explanation. The poor man looked very, very confused.

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**Well? You confused too? Don't worry, me too. I'm still sorting the story out in my head. Meanwhile, could u please tell me whats ur POV by clicking that lil' button there, RIGHT THERE, that says Submit Review Go. I'd appreciate that.**

**Letreen**


	2. Chapter 2 : Just Dropping By

**Disclaimers in 1st chapter submission.**

**The words might be mashed up a little because every time I add one extra word, they get all jumbled up, so if u notice any, please forgive me.**

The tray of food in her hand was teetering dangerously, but she managed to control the angry tremble in her hand before the food and drink topple over. Composing herself by muttering comfortingcurses under her breath, she straightened, and opened the door to the Lord Marshal's residence.

The lights were low, and the room looked empty. Sandra seized the opportunity, and quickly laid the tray down, and turned to go.

She found herself held back by a deadly blade—a shiv, she recognized--and glanced aside to see its wielder. There was the Lord Marshal, silently observing her behind those obscuring goggles. What that stunned her was that he was dripping wet, just out from a shower, she realized. _Thank goodness for that towel around his waist, or I'll be blinded for life_, she thought sarcastically, reverting her eyes away from him in silent respect. _What would they think if I told them I saw the Lord Marshal dripping wet from his shower?_

'You're naked,' she remarked.

'You're in my room,' he growled in return. 'How?' he demanded.

'It's my house,' Sandra reminded blatantly, holding up a finger and an access card dangled from it. 'And your dinner,' she added, nodding at the tray on the table. 'You forgot to attend dinner service.'

_Socializing's not my thing. _

Sandra thought herself dismissed, but before she could move, Riddick gestured at her with the shiv. 'Come on,' he took her over to one of the rooms, where the sliding window panel was open, allowing the wintery wind to air-condition the room. There, she saw, were rows and rows of blades of all sizes, laid out neatly on the carpeted floor.Beside it was a single yellowpolishing cloth.

'Your job,' he told her. Sandra shot him a hateful glare when he turned away. _What am I now, your maid?_ She sat down sullenly, and started polishing them furiously, eager to finish the damned job fast. But seeing the vast field of blades and only one polishing cloth, she heart sank. _This is gonna be a long night..._

Riddick came in several minutes later, fully clothed (_thank goodness_, she thought). He laid on his stomach, made himself comfortable, and proceeded to read something on his portable PC. For a moment he glanced up at her without turning his head, observing her some more.

She looked mad, he thought to himself, chuckling. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders and she furiously polished away. Grey eyes reflected passion in her spirit. Her face bore a striking resemblance to the thin Lord Woolworth. Pale cheeks conveyed..._cold_? he chuckled, and took a swig from the bottle he took along with him._ Beautiful. Babe,if you could stand up, I'll have a look at that ass..._

Sandra suddenly looked up, and for a second he wondered if he had said that too loud. Then she remarked, 'you know you shouldn't drink with an empty stomach.'

He cocked his head slightly in her direction, and smiled slightly. 'Yeah, I do.'

'And you're doing just that,' she persisted, furrowing her eyebrows.

'I'm doing that cuz' I know a certain lady so kind that would bring me my meal,' Riddick said, flashing a smirk. Sandra narrowed her eyes at him. But, to his amusement, she got up and went to get his tray of dinner, leaving a black cloud in her wake. He rolled onto his back, snickering to himself, ordered the lights low, and took off his goggles.

She came back in a moment, and plopped the tray down so forcefully that the wares clanked against each other noisily. 'Easy, girl,' he said, chuckling and rising to a sitting position. Sandra went back to polishing, rubbing away furiously.

'What am I now, some dog?' she asked, her voice low with quiet rage. Riddick paused in his meal.

'Nah, not dog, rather of... feline friend,' he replied, smirking. _Yeah, my kitty_. She glanced up heatedly,and paused when she saw his eyes. They shone luminously in the dark, like...like...jaguars._ And glowing mushrooms_, she thought. 'How you got those?' she asked, gesturing with her chin. _That age old question... _he focused on his food, playing with his fork as dark yet vivid memories flashed by. He remained silent for several moments before answering.

'First you gotta kill some people.'

'Really?' Sandra didn't expect that sort of reply. She glanced away. Her vigorous rubs on the blades toned down to merely wiping. She pondered over his words for a while, then asked softly, 'so you did?'

That was far toounexpected for Riddick. He almost choked on his meal. Fortunately he coughedout his half-chewed salmon in time.Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he said, 'how long have you lived on this fucking planet?'

'Ni-nineteen years,' she stammered, quite unnerved by his sudden change of tone. Riddick went back to attacking his meal, chewing thoughtfully. _Nineteen years and she hasn't even heard of me? What the-? She's still naive, Rick, _another voice said. He glanced at her again, then shook his head.

_Naah, she can't be THAT naive!_

_Oh, but she can. Just that you've been surrounded by iron-willed, shiv-wielding women all your life in and out of the Slam and you've never came across such a...such a lady, _he narrowed one eye at that last line. Then he disagreed with himself again, sighed, shook his head, and went back to his meal.

Sandra was bemused by his weird behaviour of looking at her, shaking his head and then looking away. She decided not to press the matter further. If he had killed people before, well...that was his problem, not hers. If he was a real murderer who murders without fail, well...that was HER problem.

'You gotta finish these by midnight,' he suddenly said, gesturing at the blades with his fork. Sandra rolled her eyes, then chided, 'yes, master,' sarcastically. Riddick gave her the you'd-better-watch-what-you're-saying look, and grunted in reply. A smirk found its way to his lips as he thought of a plan to mess around with her mind. _Oh, yeah, Riddick, you bastard, _he thought, chuckling.

**Hi! I couldn't update much this hols cuz' I'm busy with my ochestra's performance(Me a clarinetist beams) and this might be delayed a little. Apologies in advance. I'll update ASAP. Meanwhile, thanks a lot for your reviews! Helped me with the INSPIRATION dilemma.**


	3. Chapter 3 : Interesting

'Do you ever read the news?'

Sandra let her hands drop from polishing, and sighed. Riddick had been throwing dozens of questions at her the whole night through—some of them she found quite irritating and irrelevant. There were "you've got a PC to yourself?" "How long it is since you've updated your PC?" "You've got pets?" "How much is three hundred and fifty five divided by five?" and even one she found quite offending—"have you ever had a one night stand?"

It was as if he found her quite innocent, and had expected a big "NO". Which was it.

'You know, you've been asking me MANY questions and not even one enquired what was my name,' she remarked pointedly, crossing her arms.

Riddick gestured at the blades. 'Finish them,' he said, completely ignoring her. 'By midnight.'

Sandra sighed in exasperation, and continued her work. She was right about it going to be a long night. _With the Lord of the Necromongers talking openly about his murder accomplishments…not good. _She paused to push her hair back from her face, steeled her tired arms, and went back to work.

'What's your name?' Riddick asked all of a sudden. He was seated beside her, propped against the wall, studying his PC all night. Sandra glanced at him sideways, and smiled a little. Somehow that question had made her grew hot in the face. 'Sandra.'

'Sandra,' he repeated. He growled, which in fact was him chuckling quietly. He looked at her, running his goggled eyes over her smooth back and layered hair. He sat back, clasping his fingers behind his head. 'Got a mother?'

'She left,' came the monotonous reply.

He wasn't surprised—his own parents left him in a liquor store rubbish bin. For a specific reason, of course, since he was the only male Furyan baby left, but he still blamed them for what he was today. He grunted, willing himself to think of something else. Thinking about his family always made him frustrated and angry for quite a while. He figured she didn't need to have an angry Riddick to deal with.

'And daddy?'

Sandra paused. 'What about him?'

'How is he like?'

'Charming, charismatic, filthy rich,' she shrugged. 'Nothing that I look for in a man.'

'He's filthy rich,' Riddick noted, smirking. 'So why aren't you pleased? You're living the life of a princess. Most women and daughters must be jealous.'

'I have a thing against him,' she simply said. Riddick didn't force her to continue; if he did, he knew from past experiences, she might as well lie. Instead, he gave her the silent treatment, something that always prompted the person to continue speaking. It worked, as always. 'No daughter would like it when her mother is taken from her,' she muttered.

'He took your mother away?' he asked gently. _Poor girl…what the—? Hey, Big Bad, are you actually sympathizing with her? _

'Ma didn't want to go,' she said, nodding.

'Where did she go?'

'I don't know,' Sandra said, glancing at him. Her grey eyes were a little misty. 'That's what's killing me inside. I thought maybe one day I could find her; I just don't know where to start.'

'Maybe he sent her to one of those planets,' he reasoned. 'What did he say just now? Freeaun, Garunda and what shit?'

'Impossible,' she shook her head, chuckling. 'Then she must be dead.'

'Dead?'

'Yeah,' Sandra nodded. She quitted searching for any visible emotions on his face, and went back to polishing. She noted gleefully that she was almost done. 'These people are knuckleheads: they always fall for that trick of his.'

'What?'

'Promises of riches and glory,' she waved her hands dramatically. 'They always fall for it. _Always_. They sign the treaty with soaring hopes and insatiable greed for riches, seal the deal, father assassinates them, and that planet falls under his direct power. It would appear legal that father gets the reins of the title "ruler". Another fool falling for his simple plan. Simple as that.' She looked at him again, 'I was hoping you'd figure that out.'

'They must have been real, genuine, authentic knuckleheads.'

'You didn't figure that out?'

'We've already did.'

'I thought so,' she said, chuckling as she swiped the cloth over the last blade. Done, she threw the cloth aside and collapsed beside Riddick. 'Yet you are still here.'

'I like the hospitality.'

Sandra laughed. 'You'd better get lost before he fries your ass, like he did to the rest.'

'He will never come within a meter radius of my ass,' Riddick reassured. 'Besides, wouldn't it be your ass that he'd be frying?'

'I play my role,' she replied, shrugging. 'I do the job of making the guest comfortable, let him settle into bliss oblivion, and daddy does the physical thing. That it why I am still here speaking to you--a simple job, with my life as my salary.' She shook her head. 'I have nothing to lose ever since ma's gone.'

'And I thought you're still in school.'

'Just one of my acts,' she chuckled. 'I must have fooled you hard.'

'You sure did,' Riddick admitted. _But you sure didn't look like 5 years younger_, he thought. _With that body…now, THAT'S a distraction. _'So you're a prisoner in your father's world.'

'You could say that.'

'A pawn in his game.'

'How poetic of you,' she said, letting out a chuckle. 'Yeah, I'm a pawn, for the mere sake of breathing, or I'd be some 6 feet underground talking to some hungry maggots poking out my eyes instead of you here.'

'Then why are you telling me all this?' he asked blatantly. 'Doing so could give you a free package to hell and, like you said, some 6 feet underground talking to some hungry worms poking out your eyes.'

'Maggots.'

'Like why the hell does that matter.'

'A visit to those planets would do the trick,' she said, sighing. She hugged her legs to her chest, and rested her chin on her knee. _Hell, she actually looks cute doing that. _'I see them suffering, starving, ignored and discarded, I realized I could have saved them.' She shook her head in frustration. 'At this stage, I realized, too, that it was high time I did some good, so that is what I'm trying to do now—to do you and your people some good, by trying to get you off this planet.'

'You do not fear death.'

'I have nothing to lose,' she said again, shrugging. _This girl is lost._

'And what you'd think I would do if you told me all this shit?'

Sandra looked at him, and smirked. 'I would think that you'd use me as spy into my father's plans, then you'd kill him, abandon me on some God-forsaken planet in the multiverse, while you take hold of his power.'

Riddick's lips quirked up at its ends. 'Hey, you're a smart kid.'

'You're really going to do that?' she asked, amused.

'Perhaps,' he said, not revealing anything. Sandra snorted softly, and leaned her head back into the wall. Both remained silent, digesting newly acquired information. Then she broke the silence. 'You really killed for those eyes?'

'Go to Google. Search under "murderers & convicts", and the first thing that comes up. You'll get your answer.'

'That would be Richard B. Riddick,' she said, chuckling. 'You are confident.'

'Unbroken record,' he reasoned, smirking.

'And how the King of Murders ended up being the Lord of the Necromongers?' she asked curiously.

'Some shit ass rule that tells you that you keep what you kill,' Riddick growled. Sandra laughed softly.

'You aren't the bad ass sort I thought you'd be,' she teased. 'Although you're quite an asshole.'

'Watch your tongue,' he growled.

'And what would you do if I don't?' she ribbed. 'Ghost me?'

He had lunged at her, and had her on her back in a second, pressing a newly polished shiv into the crevice between her throat and her collarbone. His other hand held her throat firmly, though not choking her but clearing sending the message. 'Maybe,' he said, chuckling. 'Cutting you up like a surgeon, starting with the tongue, and maybe after that one of your ears.'

'And followed by a certain eggs and sausage?' a clearly shaken Sandracouldn't resistto taunt some more. Riddick glanced down, and there, she held a small hunting knife precisely the spot where he was most sensitive to fleshy pleasure. _Oh, fuck this kid…yeah, I'm sure you'd enjoy that, _another voice in his head laughed. 'You should watch how you speak to women, Riddick,' she teased. 'Otherwise you are unable to charm them into your bed.'

'Aww, you need not worry, darlin',' Riddick reassured, smirking. 'Women comes naturally for me.' He released her, then in one swift motion, pulled her onto her feet, and slammed her against the wall. She cried out in pain. The audibly echo of the hunting knife hitting the floor resounded in her mind. She was bloody hell trapped.

Riddick put his hands on the wall , trapping her under him. Sandra narrowed her eyes as he leaned down, nearing her face.

'Woman,' he whispered, his voice coming out with a deep rumble. 'Know. Your. Place.'

He stared at her for a moment, intimidating her, taunting her, daring her. Finally, afterwhat appeared to herto be nine hours, he stepped back, gave her one of his lopsided smiles, and walked from the room, leaving the door ajar.

Sandra stood there for a moment, staring after him. Then hot angry tears sprung to her eyes. She kicked the wall in frustration. Finally exhausted from all that she went through, she sat down, and cried.

**There! Another chapter!**

**I forgot the disclaimers. Disclaimer: I own nobody or anything from PB/TCOR. **

**A little twist to Sandra's character. (",) And btw, just to ask you readers, is it better to name every chapter, or just stick to the standard Chapter 1, Chapter 2, etc?**

**njrd : Thanks for your reviews! She's not that innocent after all. Lol.**

**ListenNatalie : I still can't see where my story's going, though...but I think I have a rough idea. :P Thx for reviewing!**

**bima : hi! Sandra's one blur character at times, and thank you for your reviews.**

**vinbaby19 : haha, thxx. Hope you'll like this chapter too. Thanks for reviewing!**

-Letreen-


	4. Chapter 4 : Escape

Sorry, writer's block. Busy the entire hols. Anyway, thank ya all for your reviews! Really pushed me to pick up my pen again (or keyboard, or whatever.)

**Njrd** – was it that obvious? Oops… hehe, thanks for staying with me.

**Bima **– Sandra rocks, huh? J Thank you for your review!

**BatPhace** – think of starting? Go on! It's never too late. Thank you!

**Vinbaby19** – thank you! I will keep it up!

On with the show…err, chapter.

**Chapter 4 - **

'Sandra, there's no need to hide anything from me.'

_Sure, you killed my mother and ruined my life, what else can I hide from you?_ She thought bitterly, keeping her eyes busy on her hands in her lap. She hated such sessions: Woolworth interrogating his daughter for information she got throughout her night of entertaining the guests.

Woolworth paced slowly in front of Sandra, patiently waiting for her to speak. It has been a good hour since he brought her into his room, and she hasn't spoken a word save for 'good morning, father', words that he knew was never sincere and genuine.

Sandra felt like kicking herself for revealing her father's evil schemes to Riddick. She knew, from past experience, what he would do to 'wrong doers'. And it sucks.

'He must have told you something,' Woolworth sighed, stopping before her with his arms crossed. He regarded her with kind, fatherly eyes…_eyes that have witnessed hundreds of executions and murders that ended countless innocent lives with a simple nod of his head_. Sandra shivered inwardly at the thought. Just as that crossed her mind, another eyes flashed at her…bottomless, endless voids of silver…

'He told me nothing,' she blurted out without thinking. Oh, shit! What the-?

_Steady, kid…_

Her eyes widened. _…Riddick?_ She wondered, stunned to hear his voice in her ears, though he was nowhere to be seen. _You…why are you in my head? Shh... _he growled. Literally.

'Nothing?' Woolworth frowned. 'That cannot be,' he shook his head. 'He must have said something.'

_You were his bed warmer all night long. _Sandra would have laughed out loud at such an absurd lie. The entire palace knew that she will remain a virgin until there's a ring on her finger.

_He won't buy it, ass._

_The next insult will cost you your vocal arpeggios. Just say it, _he returned firmly.

'I was…ah, trying to live up to his expectations,' Sandra said quickly.

'Expectations?'

'The physical sort,' she stammered. Woolworth raised an eyebrow, apparently quite shocked. He knew his daughter was a hardcore fan of _Abstinence from Sex till Marriage_ campaign.

'Sandra, I want you to know how much I appreciate your sacrifices all this while,' he said softly, laying a gentle fatherly hand between her shoulder blades on the small of her back. Sandra stiffened, but forced herself to relax_. Damn you, now they think I'm some sort of whore spy?_ She glanced down at her feet again. _Damn you Riddick._

_Shut up princess._

'Now, seeing that you have gone this far down the road,' Woolworth straightened, and went in front of her again. Sandra's eyes followed him warily. 'I will need you to get him out of here, my dear.'

'Here…what here?'

'Representatives from Garunda are arriving this afternoon,' Woolworth explained. 'The Lord Marshall… I don't want him to be aware of it, alright? Get him to bring you somewhere…a nightclub or something, so long as you get him away from the palace.'

She looked bewildered, as if he had just told her that he had started subscribing to Asshole Times. 'What do you think he thinks of me? Some royal bitch that he's willing to spend his entire day with in the city?'

'Judging from what you said about what you did last night,' Woolworth allowed a small insensitive smirk. 'Yeah, I think he'd be willing.'

Sandra looked away. She sighed. 'When is all this going to end?' she whispered. She glanced up at him, her eyes fiery with emotion. 'When are you going to stop fooling around with their lives like toys and wooden blocks?'

The next thing she knew, she had flown from her seat to the floor, cheek burning and side on fire from the landing. Woolworth dusted his hands dramatically. He stared down at his scarred daughter with cold, empty eyes. Inside, his heart twisted painfully for the need of such brutal force._ If_ _only she'd learn..._He moved to help her up, but stopped in hesitation when Sandra returned his stare; grey eyes resembling himself, but red hot passion gleaming in them, passion that reflected dreadful hate. Hate for _him_.

He steeled his jaw, and strode out of the room, shoes clicking soundly on the polished floor. Sandra released a ragged breath, hot tears trailing down her cheeks. There was no sign of Riddick's voice in her head, but she could tell he was there, silent and not saying any smart ass comment he must have thought of. She slowly picked herself up, and brushed the moisture on her face away with the back of her hand.

'Tell me what to do,' she said out loud.

_What?_

_You heard me._

_My room. 2 minutes. _

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It was all wide-eyed awe when Sandra entered the Necromongers' military ship, parked at the port. It was nothing like how she had imagined. It was surprisingly quiet, unlike the noisy and bustling situation in her father's ship. The Necromongers, silent and dangerous looking people, moved with a quiet confidence, bowing to the small group that held Sandra.

'So…this is the Necromongers,' she breathed. Lord Vaako, her newly introduced guide, nodded. His head was held slightly higher, feeling a quiet pride welling up in him. Behind him was Lady Vinara, Riddick's newly appointed personal assistant, following the entourage silently.

Vinara was quite a sight to behold. Sandra had stood a full 5 seconds staring at her when she answered the door to Riddick's residence. The tall woman was striking, with her white shock of revelry-like hair, a long and pale face, red glossed lips that smirked at her, and her eyes. Vinara's eyes were the scariest—besides Riddick's—Sandra has ever seen. One was a normal icy-blue. The other—her right eye—was the product of a successful shine job, glittering silver and dangerous. _Quite a beautiful Cyclops_, Sandra had thought. _I wouldn't be surprised if Riddick's slept with her. _

'The Necromongers…they are all men,' Sandra said pointedly.

'No female is allowed on board,' Vaako explained. 'Unless, of course, it is the Lady Vinara. Orders from the Lord.' He shot a dirty look over his shoulder. Vinara smiled down at him in return.

'Rid—Lord Marshall gave her special allowance to be on the ship?' Sandra was surprised. Even more surprising, she felt a pang of jealousy. Annoyed at herself, she pushed it away.

'The Ice Lady wins again,' Vaako remarked.

'You envy me, kid?' Vinara asked, smiling artfully as she took the lead and led them up a ramp way towards a raised platform.

'I don't!' Sandra had retorted on an automatic impulse. Vinara glanced back at her with her silvery eye, and cocked an eyebrow in amusement.

'Whatever, kid,' she said dismissively. Secretly, she despised the girl. Her hair was too wavy for her taste, and she looked like a spoilt princess, judging her way of dressing and talking. She seemed so immature…Vinara thought she had better things to do than being tour guide to this bratty looking girl. No matter how much she racked her brain, she just couldn't find a single reason why Riddick had ordered them to bring her on board. _Well_, she thought, _I'll know now. _

They had arrived onto a platform bathed in red light where Sandra identified as the control panel centre. Several main coordinators were working away diligently, communicating silently with whomever outside Kudakasut. Vaako led them through an adjoining door, to a big dark room, modestly furnished.

'Where are we?' Sandra wondered out aloud.

'I told you to be here in two minutes. It's already ten.'

She turned at the familiar voice. Riddick slid the door close, and set on the lock. Suddenly she realized she was without Vaako and Vinara—as if they had vanished into thin air. She swore Vaako was right in front of her before Riddick appeared—also out from nowhere.

'Doesn't matter so long as I am here,' Sandra said, crossing her arms. Riddick approached her, eyes glittering perilously, like a jaguar waiting to pounce. He took one deep breath, and let it out slowly. Sandra narrowed her eyes. _You'd better not do what I think you're going to do. _

He stood there for a moment, then another, until she felt that he was waiting for her to say something. When she thought that he was really waiting, he suddenly growled, shattering the silence save the intake and exhale of breath. 'You were crying.'

'I thought the room you meant was the one in my home.'

'You thought wrong.'

'There's no need to point out the obvious. I'm not blind.'

'I will not tolerate you being late if you want to be my spy,' Riddick said, driving the message home when his hand shot up and grabbed her arm, squeezing it slightly to remind her successfully that he would not hesitate to break her like a twig. She resisted the urge to curse at him, but yanked her arm away angrily.

'I get your point, happy?' she said, annoyed that this man had decided that she was one whom could be pushed around with. She had grown up in a luxurious and furnished environment, there was always food on the table, and servants waiting on her, beautiful clothes to choose from. She was living the life of a princess, she knew, but inside, she was an independent one, always on her guard, with the sweet, innocent girl outside as a façade. Riddick hadn't quite got _that_ point across yet.

'So why did you command my ass over?' Sandra asked impatiently.

'For fun,' Riddick shrugged as if it didn't matter. He grabbed a coat—a black and long one with its tail swirling out like a cape—and made for the door.

'What?' she couldn't believe her ears. For what? 'Wait, you brought me here for fun? What kind of shit is that?' she leaped after him, but before she reached the door he had whirled around and jammed it shut. Stunned, she pounded on the steel door with her palm, panic infusing in her. Was he going to starve her to death, or maybe fill the room with acid gas? Or—

Suddenly, she heard the audible and recognizable click of a lock. Damn!

'Great, now what?' she muttered to herself.

An hour later, she was struggling to exit out through an unlocked window. Trying to ease her escape down to the ground that was fifty feet below, she had found a pair of hunting knives with good grips—not those she had polished the night before, of course. She knew she's going to get one hell of a lecture if they found out she had eased her way out of the window by scalding the sleek, black surface of their ship with pock holes, but she didn't really care, anyway.

A cold brisk wind was blowing harshly, and it appeared as if no one was in the area or in sight. Sandra slowly lowered herself out of the window, her feet searching hurriedly for a foothold. There was none, much to her frustration. She freed a hand, grabbed one of the knives from the back of her pants, and let it fall through the air. She caught it between her feet, and stabbed its point into the surface of the ship with all her might. It stuck fast.

Smiling at her handy work, she eased some of her weight onto the handle, relieving her arms. Then, bracing herself, she released the window edge. She felt herself falling through air, and her hands found the handle once more. Now her feet were dangling in mid air, free of support, while her fingers curled around the knife for dear life. She felt a momentary pang of fear. If she fell…well, she didn't want to think about that.

'Alright, Sandra, you can do this,' she muttered under her breath. She squeezed her eyes shut, and released the handle.

She fell through the air, at break neck speed, it seems. She landed hard, rolling sideward to lessen the impact. Her butt hurt, she though as she struggled to still her giddy vision. Rising up on her knees, she clutched her elbow, grimacing with pain and panting from the exhilaration of all of it.

'That took a while,' an all too familiar voice chuckled.

'You could have used a better method than that to escape you know,' Vaako added.

'Kids are always so impatient to get out,' Vinara purred.

Sandra didn't have the strength to ask as she regarded the threesome again wearily. It seemed as if they were waiting there for quite a while already. Riddick was sprawled so-unking-like on the hard ground, hands clasped behind his head, relaxing in the afternoon sun. Vinara and Vaako was standing there with arms crossed, seemingly bored.

'What are you doing here?' she asked, groaning.

'Just seeing whether you'd be escaping,' Vinara shrugged. 'Alright, come on, let's go in. This heat is frying my skin.'

Riddick rose to his feet lazily. He went to Sandra, a moment after Vinara and Vaako left, and offered a hand. Sandra took it, unsure, and allowed him to help her up.

'You're gonna pay for that hole in my ship,' he said, looking down at her. Sandra glanced up at the knife, still poking out like an old branch. Sandra smiled sheepishly, and shrugged. He shook his head. 'Come on, we've got work to do.'

'What work?'

'You'll find out.'

**That's all for chapter 4. A little short, but, lah...**

**Would u be so kind as to review? They're really appreciated!**

**Letreen**


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